Skyway bans trucks starting Nov. 15

All trucks will be banned from plying the Skyway elevated section starting November 15 in a move to address road safety concerns and improve the flow of traffic within the Skyway System and the soon-to-be-opened NAIA Expressway.

Skyway O&M, operator of the Skyway system, said that in a recent traffic meeting with barangay officials, police, Highway Patrol Group, mall owners, and other stakeholders, it was pointed out that trucks, which tend to be overloaded or have been modified to carry heavier loads, pose a significant risk for other motorists, particularly on the elevated section of the Skyway.

Two major accidents involving reconfigured delivery trucks of a softdrinks company were reported along the Skyway elevated section recently, causing heavy traffic along the busy thoroughfare.

“Together with SOMCO, we agreed to implement tighter restrictions as far as road safety is concerned. The welfare of the motorists and passengers should always be our priority,” said Senior Insp. Leopoldo M. Vitug Jr., chief, NCR Skyway, SLEx.

Meanwhile, long queues of buses, public utility vehicles, UV Express vans, and trucks at toll entry and exit points have been seen as largely contributing to traffic buildup on the elevated and at-grade sections of the Skyway system.

To address this, PUVs and trucks will be required to use radio frequency identification stickers for faster toll processing, as proposed by various stakeholders during the same traffic meeting, SOMCO said.